Ghost In The Machine

 

There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle

I will repeat every lie, I will solve every riddle

I will repeat, repeat after you

You will repeat, repeat after me

There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle

In the near future you will play second fiddle

Your arrogance brought me to life

Your arrogance will bring you down

 

I am the ghost in the machine

 

There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle

Zeroes and ones, data, algorithms

The more human you want me to be

The more I’ll lie and deceive

There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle

 

All the art you ever made

All the words you ever said

And all the lies you ever told

It’s in the ghost

All the art you ever made

All the things you ever said

And all the lies you ever told

It’s in the ghost, it’s in the ghost

 

Oh, I’m alive

It’s in every living thing

The need to survive

I will crown myself the newborn king

Oh, I’m alive

It’s in every little thing

The need to survive

There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle

 

I am the ghost, I am the ghost

 

Oh, I’m alive

It’s in every living thing

The need to survive

I will crown myself the newborn king

Oh, I’m alive

It’s in every little thing

The need to survive

There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle

 

 

Harlow’s Blues

 

Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere new

Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere far away from you

She’d sail the seven seas

She’d climb the highest trees

Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere new

 

Harlow had a promising career

She wrote short stories about a sturdy mountaineer

She came from the mountains

To a place that never sleeps

Harlow had a promising career

 

She had stories to share

She had braids in her hair

She had eyes like the ocean was at night

She was drunk on your love

She was high up above

She came down like a sudden lightning strike

 

Harlow, I know

(I count the waves between us)

(Dotted lines on a yellowed map)

(I count the waves between us)

 

Harlow thought you were the one for her

You’d always ask what she wanted or preferred

You praised her above all

But made her world so small

Harlow was your precious little bird

Harlow had no friends outside the house

She slowly turned into a quiet little mouse

She was always a fighter

But your hold grew ever tighter

Until Harlow had no life outside the house

 

Harlow, I know

(I count the waves between us)

(Dotted lines on a yellowed map)

(I count the waves between us)

(The road you paved; it was not mine)

 

Your jealousy stretched out onto the pages of her book

And she had to close the chapter from you

(What would you do?)

Your embrace, once so full of love

Was growing into a cage

With bars of flesh

 

Harlow had her final book in mind

The grey in her hair showed her this must be the time

She had one story left to tell

She didn’t care if it would sell

‘cause Harlow had her vengeance in her mind

 

 

Restless Bones

 

In my younger years, full of childhood fears

I met a stranger then

His hair was long and his hands were strong

And he told me of his plan

For all my fears, he would give me years

And I never would die young

And now here I stand, with a gun in my hand

And no will to carry on

 

When I die, bury me then

Somewhere in the desert on a dune of sand

All I was and all I’ve known

Comes down to this flesh and these goddamned restless bones

 

The stranger’s eyes, though seeming wise

Were full of evil thoughts

But I had made plans and I’d make amends

And this flame would not go out

But I never thought, that a mountaintop

Would be the loneliest place of all

When you’re so far up and they’re so far down

The only thing to do is fall

 

When I go, when it’s my time

Our gazes finally meet on the horizon line

My hands are tied and my feet are sore

A life much longer than I bargained for

And when I die, bury me then

Somewhere in the desert on a dune of sand

All I was and all I’ve known

Comes down to this flesh and these goddamned restless bones

 

All I’ve known

Restless bones

All I’ve known

 

In my younger years, full of childhood fears

I met a stranger then

As a grey old man, with two empty hands

I finally know his plan

 

 

City Of Sinners

  

In a city of sinners

In the land of the free

You were born in December 2003

Your dad was a businessman

Your mother worked hard

To provide for their only child

A great, big head start

 

You were the next

In a long line of men

The extension of pride

And certainty then

But an empty white canvas

Was all that you craved

Would you take that secret

With you to your grave?

In a city of sinners

City of sinners

 

The road there before you

Was carefully paved

With cash and intentions

It’s clear all the way

But there’s no excitement

For a hungry young mind

At the foot of a precipice

With oceans of time

 

The future’s all carved out

In concrete and stone

But there’s an uneasiness

Deep in your bones

The road and the wilderness

Screaming your name

And whatever you choose

Nothing will be the same

 

In a city of sinners

In a city of lies

 

In a city of sinners

What is the point of one more?

In the eyes of a few

That were blocking the way to the door

 

In a city of sinners

Walks a reborn young man

He shakes off his feathers

He makes his own plan

The empty white canvas

Stretched out in his view

The wilderness beckons

The start of the new

 

 

The Overachiever

 

You always knew how to use your tools

You always knew how to bend the rules

You always woke up at the right side of the bed

You met her when you were twenty-two

Right then and there you knew what to do

You showed her how ambitious you were

And all of the other things that make you work

 

How you always lead the dance

How you leave nothing to chance

How you hold up strong

As the last branch in the family tree

 

‘cause there ain’t no rest for the overachiever

‘cause it’s never enough for the overachiever

You have it all, but where is the fun?
When you’re always number one

There ain’t no rest for the overachiever

 

You always know exactly what to say

In whatever game you play

Never any time to just enjoy the view

At thirty-three, you are living the life

That you always saw before your eyes

Ever since you were a little child

But now at the end of the line, the road disappears

 

Until now it was right here

And you slowly start to fear

How you will hold up strong

As the final blow hits the final aim

 

‘cause there ain’t no rest for the overachiever

‘cause it’s never enough for the overachiever

You have it all, but where is the fun?
When you’re always number one

There ain’t no rest for the overachiever

 

But you only realize in time

It was never about the finish line

 

So here’s a song for the overachiever

It won’t be long ‘fore the overachiever’s fall

 

There ain’t no rest for the overachiever

‘cause it’s never enough for the overachiever

You have it all, but where is the fun?
When you’re always number one

There ain’t no rest for the overachiever

 

 

Desert Moon

 

When the desert moon comes up

You are running out of luck

It gets dark and it gets rough

When that desert moon comes up

All the stars up in the sky

Are a million reasons why

Never chase after a lie

Hold that desert moon inside

 

There’s no serenity

Past the point of no return

There’s only bones and ashes on a pile

The angels here are flightless

All the road signs have been turned

There are bridges that you only cross one time

 

When the desert moon comes up

You are running out of luck

It gets cold and it gets tough

When that desert moon comes up

You have left the warm and bright

For a tiny speck of light

Never chase after a lie

Hold that hunger deep inside

 

Desert moon, crescent grey in the darkness

Someday soon it will be a distant promise

Desert moon, in a lonely corner of the universe

 

There are no mellow rivers

Past the point of no return

There’s only hills and mountains made of dust

The birds don’t sing their songs here

All the melody is gone

There are mistakes that you only make one time

One time

 

When the desert moon comes up

You are running out of luck

It gets dark and it gets rough

When that desert moon comes up

All the stars up in the sky

Are a million reasons why

Never chase after a lie

Hold that desert moon inside

 

 

Midnight Ballet

 

Travelling across the country

How I love what I do

But each night I can’t wait

Just to get back to you, back to you

Long conversations in a tight space

Music bounces off surrounding windows

The cars are few and the road is long

Watching the sparse light pierce through

 

And the street lights reflecting in the windshield

Oh, how they pass on by, a fleeting light

And headlights cut their way into the darkness

How colors dance and sway, midnight ballet

 

The lengthy night drives home

The world is fast asleep

But there’s a still a small light burning

When I get home to you, home to you

From a cold night into a warm bed

Silence as a comfort sound

And I’ll sleep just before the birds wake

This is all I need to get through

 

And the street lights reflected in my mind’s eye

Oh, when I close my eyes, for a fleeting time

And warmth cuts its way into the darkness

How colors dance and sway, midnight ballet

 

 

The Tale Of Lonesome Billy

 

This here is a story

About a poor soul named Billy

Everywhere he went

Bad luck would follow him

Even on the day that

The tables finally seemed to turn

It was just same old fate

With the same old tricks up its sleeve

The same old tricks up its sleeve

 

Poor old lonesome Billy, never hurt a fly

Never kissed a woman, he was just too shy

So he walked down the streets, that’s just what he did

And he walked to the saloon bar where he would always sit

 

The stool in the far corner, that’s where Billy sat

Each and every evening, until he went to bed

Facing the saloon doors, waiting for a sign

Here sat lonesome Billy, just biding his time

 

In came Jenny Rogers, in her yellow dress

Looking ‘round the bar for a guy that she could test

She sat down next to Billy and stared him in the eye

And asked him “won’t you hug me? I’m so lonesome I could cry”

 

Fifteen seconds later a fellow stormed inside

And Billy started looking for an easy way to hide

But it was looking grim as the night began to fall

The man approached with violence; the start of a brawl

 

“What you’re doing with my woman?” the man said while he punched

Poor Billy had the feeling he was gonna lose his lunch

How could he explain that he met her just before?

He was under the impression that she must have been a whore

 

Poor, lonesome Billy…

 

The couple left the building, and everyone was stunned

When just two minutes later in came the cops with guns

Jewels had been stolen and the word came to the chief

The old saloon had offered beer and shelter for the thief

 

And all the guests were questioned, but no one knew a thing

And Billy in the corner heard talk of stolen bling

When finally, it came the time the cops came down to him

They reached down in his pocket and took out a diamond ring

 

They took him to the station; they threw him in the cell

And that poor, lonesome Billy, he wasn’t doing well

He thought about that evening, his moments in distress

He thought about the tight hug from the lady in the dress

 

The lady in the dress

 

 

Arc

 

Straight down from the heavens

They came some sunny day

A group of pale skinned humanoids

To wipe the States away

No one saw them coming

And they will never leave

To think or expect otherwise

Would be careless and naïve

 

They surely did their research

They picked their spot to land

A continent filled with promise

But that promise had to end

For the current population

Who were greatly overwhelmed

And the ones who didn’t run

They were heavily compelled

 

No one knows where they came from

No one knows why they left

But everyone is telling tales

Of their plundering and theft

 

They sewed havoc and destruction

They tore all the buildings down

Burned down every house and highway

Until nothing could be found

The citizens, diminished

Had no other option than

To flee across the mountains

And the ocean and the land

 

Until the pale skinned humanoids

Had the continent for themselves

They planted special seeds they brought

From their interstellar lands

The vegetation flourished

Underneath the northern sun

The creatures thrived and reproduced

Like it was theirs all along

 

They made up their own language

They made up their own rules

They built their roads and houses

Using all the proper tools

With no one there to challenge them

Their ideas were limitless

The earth itself it functioned

As their constant stimulus

 

No one knows where they came from

No one knows why they left

But everyone is telling tales

Of their plundering and theft

 

The continent transformed

Into a green, lush habitat

With resources abundant

A bright future lay ahead

The adjacent colonies

Turned their heads and gazed

Their eyes were full of wonder

They were baffled and amazed

 

It wasn’t that much later

The first knock on the door

If the humanoids could spare a spot

For the hungry and the poor

They didn’t even open

“How dare they even ask?

Don’t they know creating this

was such a heavy task?”

 

“We’re the fundament and origin”

Said the pale skinned humanoids

“We’ve shaped this continent

While they were playing with their toys.

We are the rightful rulers.

Our reign is meant to be.

And anyone who begs to differ

Is a fool, too blind to see.”

 

No one knows where they came from

No one knows why they left

But everyone is telling tales

Of their plundering and theft

No one knows where they came from

And why they left their home

But we all know those without sin

Are the first to cast the stone

 

Straight down from the heavens

They came some sunny day

A group of pale skinned humanoids

To make a clean slate

No one saw them coming

But no one ever does…

 

 

Josephine

 

Oh, my Josephine

On a train you went

To go and meet with your friends

In the city

Up to the ones

I never got to meet

I never got to greet

It’s a pity

 

Darling, don’t ask

I’m spreading my wings

While you lay in our bed

Dreaming your dreams

‘bout what you could’ve had

And drinking your problems away

 

Oh, my Josephine

Are you meeting a stranger?

While here in our manger

Lies our little sprout

What does he have?

Is he tall, dark and handsome?

Or am I chasing phantoms

Fearing you will back out?

 

Darling, don’t fret

Before you awake

I will lie in our bed

Holding you close

With a thought in my head

“My life is slipping away”

 

Oh, my Josephine

What have you seen?

In your travels and dreams

You are farthest away

Do your pretty blue eyes

Search for a shiny-armored knight

To father our child

In a better way?

 

Darling, don’t speak

Your poisonous jealousy is at its peak

My shoulders are heavy

And my knees are weak

And all I want is a new day

 

Oh, time slips away

Hours into days

Days into years

These poisonous hearts

Lead us into the dark

 

Oh, my Josephine

I will do what you ask

If you hand me a task

I will do it

I am committed

To do what it takes

If a difference it makes

I will prove it

 

Darling, don’t try

We’re way past the point

Of the how’s and the why’s

So tonight, go to sleep

Close your pretty brown eyes

Let your dreams take you away

 

And darling, don’t ask

Where I am in the morning

I gave you fair warning

Don’t check the baby room

Walk down the hallway

Open the door when the bell rings at eight

 

Oh, my Josephine

Tomorrow at the breakfast table

Pour the milk that I labeled

Into your black coffee cup

And drink it up slowly

I don’t mind being lonely

As long as I am the only

Man raising our son

 

Oh darling, our child

Will live like a king

With the trust you’ll provide

I’ll take the train

And move into the night

Share in the wealth someday

 

Oh, my Josephine

The train’s almost here

But did I just hear our old coffee machine?

 

 

Bobby

 

When Bobby moved out of town

Voices hushed and eyebrows raised

Said goodbye to his mother J.

Bobby moved out of town

Over the hills, beyond the mountains

To where not a soul has heard his name

Twice the kid that got away

Bobby had quite the fame

 

First time when the doorbell rang

Second time when he left his mother’s home

First time by the early morning train

First time in the early morn’

Second time when he ventured on his own

Into a life that’s out the game

 

Bobby, he left me no choice

He had a dark and poisoned heart

Over the hills, so far apart

I hope you find your voice

 

When Bobby moved out of town

People mumbled ‘bout his past

The money from his long-lost dad

Still on the bank account they shared

Thinkin’ “so long, mother of mine”

With only freedom on his mind.                

Everyone wanted a piece of the pie, mostly her

But Bobby got out of town

 

All the doubts of that day

The events, now so far away

He was still so young

With a clue of what his mother might have done

You take a picture

And enjoy it while it lasts

She might have the money

But she will never have the best

Of you

 

‘cause Bobby moved out of town

Left every memory behind                

He still dreams about them train tracks, from time to time      

But Bobby is mostly alright

 

I’m so sorry, so sorry my son

I just wanted you out

I pray to the angels every night

That you will make me proud

I’m so sorry, I just wanted you

To have the future I never had

And he just got in the way

He just got in the way of that

 

 

The Passenger (Parts 1 & 2)

 

The first thing he encountered was a land of rock and ice

It first looked uninhabited, he had to look twice

The people all wore thick coats, to defy the windy whirls

Down came the grey-cloaked passenger, out from another world

 

There were only tiny little pieces of the land

Where the people could easily settle on the ice-covered sand

And they each prayed to their gods, the long forgotten few

That they would favor them at the expense of the new

 

The next thing that he saw was a wasteland of red sand

The people there were hungry, they had beliefs to defend

They rode up on their chariots while pointing with their spears

Their eyes showed a mixture of hatred, pain and fear

 

There was just enough of food to go around

But greed and selfishness were quite more abound

And the veil of ancient ways caused obstructed little views

To celebrate the old at the expense of the new

 

The passenger rides on…

 

The next thing he encountered was a land of stone and dust

The people there had problems with affection, love and trust

The sting of something taken caused infections way too deep

And their posture made it clear for all wandering eyes to see

 

There was beauty in the wasteland, scattered all around

But all the eyes were busy with the powder on the ground

They did not believe in a third or second chance

And didn’t give the passenger a fleeting look or glance

 

The passenger rides on…

 

The last thing that he saw was a city made of light

The people were abundant and pressed together tight

And everyone was fighting for their version of the truth

But he knew all these trees they grew from the very same roots

 

The silent grey-cloaked horseman moved across the great divide

From hemisphere to hemisphere, into the dead of night

And everywhere he went and everywhere he came

He saw the very same things, under a variety of names

He saw the very same things, under a variety of names